Bleys answers Conner's knock and lets him into his mother's outer room. "She's sleeping, soundly. It always amazes me that such a small woman as your mother has such an incredible tolerance for powerful sedatives. She should be up for lunch tomorrow, but only just."
He moves to a seating area off to one side. "We should wait a while to make sure she's resting comfortably. Do you play poker?"
[regardless of Conner's acceptance or demurral] He will sit and speak quietly with Conner for some time. It has been perhaps an hour or so when Bleys puts up his hand for silence. Fiona, sleeping the sleep of the chemically assisted, will not wake.
"Motherrrr!" Bleys sits upright. The word is long, low, and loud and sounds, to Conner's ears, angry.
There is a pause.
"I learned my lessons well, Mother. Is this a social call?" Conner is convinced that Bleys would not hear him, were he to speak.
Bleys pauses again, as if listening.
"Really?," Bleys says coolly. "Is there news to trade? Exciting things happening in your court?"
Another pause.
"Visitors, Mother? Anyone I know?," he asks casually.
[pause]
"Have I? Who are your visitors, mother? You wouldn't have called if you didn't mean to tell me." Bleys' tone is not as casual as it was. A touch of impatience enters into it.
[pause]
"She's had a trying day," Bleys replies.
[pause]
"Do you really think so? Do tell," Bleys says.
[pause]
"I'm sure the reunion will be emotional on all sides. I'd heard the girl was travelling." Bleys eyes are closed. The playing cards in his hand will never recover from his grasp.
[pause]
Bleys replies, in a somewhat flat tone. "The Duchess Borel was at his coronation, flying off the handle as usual. Had a handsome chap in tow who seems to have fallen into bad company."
[pause]
"I assumed that my brother would have told you long ago about my daughter. Didn't he? Shocking lapse on his part, wasn't it? And dear Paige his best student..." Bleys lets the thought and his words fade off.
[pause]
"We put you through so much, Mother, it's true. And you bear our lapses with such grace and tolerance. It always amazes me that you are related to Dara at all. She seems to have inherited so many negative qualities from her father." Conner wonders if anyone could miss Bleys' tone of voice. He considers it unlikely.
[pause]
"Indubitably, " Bleys replies, quickly.
[pause]
"And don't forget her personality and temperament, either. Those can't be easy burdens." Bleys shakes his head. "You said you knew who she brought to Amber?"
[pause]
"Well, Mother, it's been a pleasant chat, but it's late here and if you have no wish to tell me what you called to tell me, perhaps you will excuse me?" Bleys sounds bored.
[pause]
"Is he? The one who looks to be Brennan's brother? Did you know that Brennan doesn't even know his name?," Bleys asks.
[pause]
"I think he has other plans." A hint of amusement creeps into Bleys' voice.
[pause]
"Mother, you hate her. You hate her more than Fiona hates her. You've always hated her. I'm surprised you haven't had her fed to her own Gods," Bleys says.
[pause]
Bleys' eyes roll. "Did I mention that the unpromising-looking lad from Chaos that Dara and my nephew brought with them spent some time eating the help? The family considers it a serious faux pas."
[pause]
"A muzzle might be more to the point, Mother," Bleys says pointedly. "Now I'm sure that your granddaughter will want to be reunited with her own mother. How do you suppose we can arrange for that to happen?"
[pause]
"Certainly not before Fiona wakes up, and after she cools back below the boiling point. I do have more news, Mother, and I am not certain if I should save the surprise until we come to your Court or if I should share it now. What were those two chaps' names again?," Bleys asks.
[pause]
"I'm sure that telling you what you want to hear is a survival trait for the lad. Great-Grandchildren, Mother. Who is Dara's brother?" Bleys presses his point, and puts his hands on the table in front of him.
[a long pause]
Bleys drops back into his chair. "I'm sure we can have a picnic under a majestic tree somewhere. I'd not be sorry to see Uncle Madoc. I have some questions to ask him."
[pause]
"None yet, Mother, but Merlin predicts twins. They run in the father's family." His grin is devilish.
[pause]
"I'll be sure to extend the invitation, Mother. Do you have any more surprises for us?" Bleys asks.
[pause]
Bleys says "I suppose it is enough for one night. Pleasant Dreams, Mother."
[pause]
"I shall be sure to do so," Bleys says, nodding.
Bleys opens his eyes and looks at Conner. "I have two unpalatable choices, Conner. Waking your mother to tell her that Mother has Brita or failing to wake your mother to tell her that Mother has Brita."
"I suggest telling her in the morning that you tried to wake her and failed." Conner murmurs. "This sounds like news she'll need her full strength for." Conner puts down his cards. "Grandmother seems a rare person." Conner comments. "I haven't even met her and I dislike her immensely. That takes talent."
"Oh, she's not so bad, just opinionated. Imagine a cross between Brita and Lucas."
Conner just blinks for a moment. "I tried to and my brain rebelled at the notion." He replies.
"But you're right, it's not a matter for this evening. If that didn't wake your mother, nothing will. I think I should sleep, so that Mother can't annoy me further tonight. Will you be joining us for breakfast?"
"Is that what they call the noon meal nowadays?" Conner echoes with a grin. "I'll be there."
Later on the night of the Masquerade (or more properly very, very early the next morning), a lone figure leaves the castle and enters the dark gardens. Vere has bathed and changed his clothing, he now wears a loose pair of grey trousers and a dark blue shirt. His hair is unbound, and he is barefoot. As he enters the shadows of the garden he pauses, and for the first time that day finally relaxes. At last he is away from the watching eyes, the constant judgements. He luxuriates in the moment, throwing his head back and staring at the endless stars above him. For a long time he stands there, enjoying the experience of simply being, without any responsibilities or duties.
Then he gives a rueful chuckle, and recalls himself to the here and now. He runs his hands through his hair, wincing slightly at the pain in his shoulder. Walking quietly, he heads for the north eastern corner of the gardens, searching for his lady's sleeping place among the yews.
Robin shifts slightly, her eyes still closed, her self still partially asleep. Her brows are furrowed. The noise never stops here. Even in the 'still' of the morning, there are voices and the clink of pots and washing from the kitchens. The scurrying of scullery maids in the hallways. The changing of the guards, the wheels on cobblestones of the delivery wagons, the slap of wet laundry. Maybe those that dwell here don't hear them anymore, but Robin does. And she can't rest.
Almost silently, there comes another sound, the whisper of bare feet on grass. The Ranger's eyes fly open, her heart in her mouth. Carefully, she shifts in the joint between branch and trunk and peers out between the needles of the ancient yew in which she shelters.
Robin's breath catches as He strolls into view; unbound, graceful, quiet, his hair flowing in the night breeze. For a moment, all she can do is watch, her eyes drinking in the beauty of Vere free in the greenery.
"Vere..." she breathes out finally and rolls off the limb to land in a limber and graceful crouch beneath the yew. Gone is the annoying glowing paint, the silly skirt, the strange only half-understood symbolism. Instead Robin is once more a Ranger. The colors of the wild on her clothes and in the weapons she wears. The dark brown trews blending into the trunk of the yew. Dark green jerkin, pine green shirt... in the darkness, Robin might have stepped forth from the tree itself.
Only her glimmering eyes and the white smile that she cannot fight back mark her out from the yew.
At the quiet sound of his name from above Vere turns towards her, and as she lands gracefully on the ground he walks to where she stands, laughing lightly. "I was searching for you upon the ground," he says. "I did not think to look in the trees themselves. How foolish of me." He holds out his hands.
"Never foolish." Robin chuckles back, his laughter trickling down her spine like a waterfall. Stepping away from the shelter of the yew and into Vere's warmth, she takes his hands into her own. At their touch, a shiver runs through the girl and she continues to move forward until she stands within the circle of his breath. Her eyes are enormous in the darkness and she looks up into his face, the night wind blowing occasional stray strands across his brow.
"Vere...." In that drawn-out tone, love, longing, desire and willingness to let him set the pace.
He holds her hands silently, staring down into her eyes. Then, with a soft sigh, he takes a half step back from her, releasing her hands as he moves. "Are you all right?" he asks. "I did not have a chance to speak with you after your battle." For the moment he avoids raising the topic he knows he must soon turn to.
A quick bright smile darts across Robin's face for a moment, and the girl gives a quick shake to her head. To shake the stars out of her eyes. Robin lets the fires within herself burn lower, the desire withdrawing, leaving in its place a warm glow of fond regard.
"I was uninjured." She says with an ironic smile, echoing her brother's earlier words - with all their connotations. Her eyes dart away into the darkness. "Dad and Jove are helping with the rest." She looks back to Vere, rueful humor glinting in her eyes.
Reaching out gently, she takes one of his hands again. Just holding it, as a friend would. "How's your shoulder?"
His fingers tighten on hers. "A nothing," he says. "I was slow in dodging." He stands silently for a few moments, simply watching her, being with her. "Shall we walk?" he asks at last.
"I'd like that." She smiles with warmth in her voice. Robin parts some of the low hanging boughs of the yew and steps out into the open grass, drawing Vere after her.
Drawing a deep breath of the night air into her lungs, Robin looks around at the encircling stone, and up to the glinting stars. When her gaze returns to Vere, there's a quiet smile on her lips. Calm and happy. "It'll be okay, Vere," she murmurs, a hum on the night's air, "I have faith. In both of us."
Vere tilts his head to one side and regards her quietly for a few moments. Finally he nods, and says quietly, "No doubt you are right. But let me explain the situation." He drops her hand and turns away from her, staring up over the stone wall at the sky beyond the grounds of the castle's garden. "I consider this a new beginning," he says. "You are not obligated by anything said or done before this moment. I expect nothing from you, I do not consider that you owe me anything." He takes a deep breath, then slowly exhales.
"Father's legs are not healing," he says it with no expression in his face, a bare statement of fact. "They are dying. There is a limit on how much time he has to find healing for them. And I considered that he was not acting swiftly enough, that he was letting other considerations, other duties, interfere with his seeking a way to heal them." He shrugs slightly, "The situation is more complicated than I thought at the time, but I still think I was right to do what I did. He will act more decisively for someone else's welfare than he will for his own." A slight smile touches his lips. "We are not dissimilar.
"So, I made his health a matter of concern for myself as well as for him. I swore an oath before him, by my blood and by all that I am, that his healing would be placed above all concerns of mine own, and that I would never in my life take wife nor lover until he walks once more. The oath is sworn and cannot be unsworn. Not would I do so, even if I could." He stands silently for a few moments longer, then turns back to Robin, his eyes searching her face for her reaction.
The girl's eyes are darting around, and her head twitches in response to a myriad of internal conversations. Expressive hands flutter and emotions dash across her face almost too quickly to register; sadness, anger, thoughtfulness, planning, concern, love, sympathy... eventually an extremely frustrated trill emerges from the girl. And her shoulders heave in irritated pants.
"Okay." Robin ruffles enormously -- head, shoulders, waist -- as though aligning feathers of thought into something more comfortable. "Okay..."
When she looks back up at Vere, the golden light of love is burning strong behind her green eyes. "Vere... I will never force you against yourself or your oath. All I can do is give you myself. Which I do." She holds out a hand toward him.
Almost involuntarily Vere steps towards her, taking her hand in his. Hope and love fight for control of his face, with no attempt at concealment. "I cannot ask such a commitment," he says. "I do not have the right." He steps closer to her and whispers, "But I do not have the strength to refuse it."
"You didn't ask." Robin's tone is gentle with underswells of endearment as her fingers twine around Vere's. Her other hand comes up to rest on his uninjured shoulder. "I don't care about rights. And you are the strongest man I know." Her voice becomes more and more hushed as rapture takes her.
When Vere is close enough, she lifts her face and kisses him gently on the lips. A warm sigh blows through her, breath held so long being slowly released in joyful lingering contentment. Her body is taut and quivering relaxing into the warmth and wonder of the man before her. Her own lips are soft and sweet.
Vere holds her tightly, tasting her, breathing her in, and then gradually, slowly, relaxing and lifting his head just far enough to gaze down at her in wonder. He shakes his head in amazement, kisses her briefly once more, then holds her to his chest, his head tilted slightly and resting against hers. His heart beats quickly within him, and he murmurs, "How quickly life can change, my lady. How rapidly the Tapestry is woven anew."
Robin clasps Vere to herself, aligning her body against his, melding herself into his curves and planes. Her hands slide behind his shoulderblades, cradling him there for the length of their kiss. When lips first part, she gazes back up into Vere's eyes, her own glimmering with liquid joy. At the second kiss, a bit of playfulness slips into the girl, and she kisses him back bright and sparkling, happy laughter tugging at the corner's of her lips.
Robin tucks her head under his chin, pressed against him, listening to the rhythm of his heart beating, becoming so closely intertwined with the higher faster beat of her own. The sound of his words welling up from him to be given birth into the air brings a smile to her lips. And she nods, a warm croon of agreement sliding up out of her own throat.
Oh, yes. The Tapestry is woven rapidly. And this time, Robin is content.
Vere, too, is content, and for a long while will simply hold her, basking in the perfection of the moment. There are still so many things to be discussed, so many plans to make, so many questions to ask and answer. But there is time enough. For now, nothing more needs to be said.
Robin rests forever in Vere's arms. Deep within herself, a well of golden joy and brilliant happiness begins to swell. Though there will always be physical desire, Robin lets the sparks of affection, the currents of admiration, the sheer exuberant delight fountain upward most strongly. Harmonies of bliss, melodies of love strum along her air, her heart, eventually swirling up through her throat to emerge as scintillate whistles, soft and powerful. Singing without words, joyous laughter in quick quiet chirps.
Eventually she slips her head out from under Vere's chin. "Vere? How public did you want us-ness to be?"
"Mmmm?" It takes Vere a moment to process the question, a clear indication to anyone who knows him of just how lost he was in the experience of holding Robin. "I am a private person, my love, and would normally say that it is no one's business but ours. And yet..." he laughs and shakes his head, "I find myself wanting to go down to Drudge's office right this moment and tell him that the front page of tomorrow's issue of the Amber Crier must read 'Vere Loves Robin' in his largest type."
The 'my love' brings a wriggle of happiness from the girl. Oh my, yes. She is going to like this. She grins up at him. "I knoooow." It comes out as a joyous trill. "I find myself fighting back a call that could shatter windows." There's so much exuberance in her that she's practically crackling with energy.
"But for all the beauty of your not-answer," she butts his chin fondly with her forehead _her man, the master of words_. The girl's heart leaps with joy.
He chuckles at that, rather pleased at her having caught him evading the question.
"I'm serious. I wasn't exactly... subtle at the Masq. And I've got a feeling I'm just going to get worse." She blushes. "I... don't want to embarrass you. I know that you have to live here, work here. But I also don't understand how to act in the Castle."
"When we cross paths in the center foyer, what should it be, Vere? Polite nods with poignant glances? Or can I hug you, take your hand? Do we stand together at family gatherings? Or do we remain in our paternal camps?"
The girl bites her lips nervously as she searches her love's face. She knows what she wants the answer to be, but he does have to work and live here. And an active, temperamental and demonstrative woman might, perhaps, cramp his style.
He smiles at her fondly. "The only reason I would ever wish to hide this would be to protect you, my lady. To shield you from the gossip, the prying eyes, the constant speculation. I can deal with it, it is nothing different from what I knew every day of my life in my mother's court. But you..." he pauses, his smile fading. "You are a wild, free creature. I could not bear to cause you pain."
"Oo!" Robin blinks as quicksilver thoughts dart behind her eyes. "Good call." She murmurs appreciatively.
"I've been paying so much attention to the big predators, I wasn't watching out for the small scavengers." Robin's lips cock wryly.
Her eyes wander off as she runs various scenarios through her mind. Eventually, she just shakes her head and looks back to Vere, slightly dumbfounded. She doesn't have enough experience to predict what the environment will bring or what her reactions to it will be.
But that doesn't mean she can't do anything about it.
First things first though.
She lays a gentle hand alongside Vere's cheek and lets the glow of love burn up into her eyes. "You could never cause me pain, Vere. Just by virtue of your you-ness." The smile that lights her face is beautific. "Deep Shadows, man. You are such a miracle..." She shakes her head, she doesn't have the words for her amazement and wonder.
After another of those eternities lost in his eyes, Robin shakes her head with a chuckle and drags herself back to subject.
"How's this for a plan? We're open - secrets make better weapons for conspirators than obviousness."
Vere nods his agreement to this statement.
"We stand together, hold hands, hug in the corridors, etc. But I watch you. You flag me down if the situation is dangerous. I completely trust your judgment in that, Vere." She smiles with absolute faith. "And I'll do my best to keep it calm and restrained. Though I, of course, reserve the right to override if I think it's really, really important." She wrinkles her nose. "Do you think that'll work?" Because, after all, he is the expert.
"Yes," he says. And then again, more definitely. "Yes. That should work out just fine." He thinks quietly for a few moments.
Robin grins. Oh, she loves watching Vere's wheels turn. The man is absolutely brilliant and she had hoped he would be able to incorporate her wildness into his plans.
"Father knows already, of course. You asked his permission to court me." He cannot help the delighted grin that crosses his face as he says that. "What of Prince Julian? And I would like to tell Solange of this as quickly as possible, before it becomes public knowledge. Will that be acceptable?"
"Oh, yes. Please tell Solange." Robin's eyes color with sympathy. "Poor girl..." she ticks her tongue quietly. Solange was probably going to get more Robin than she knew what to do with, through no action of her own.
Then her eyes glimmer with humor as she looks off to the side. "Dad knows. And has also been officially updated." Her eyes come back to Vere. "He's okay with it." It's hard to translate Julian into something anyone else would find comforting, but Robin tries to convey her father's reserved acceptance as favorably as possible.
Vere nods, hearing what she's not saying. "He does not know me yet," he observes mildly. "I would be disappointed if he did not withhold final judgement pending more information."
Robin smiles happily. It's so easy talking with Vere. He listens, he hears.
There is another of those pauses of his. "King Corwin is leaving for his realm at noon tomorrow, and I am expected to accompany him. This makes my flight with Jovian and Kourin unlikely. I do not know how long I will be gone, I do not know that we will have a chance to see each other before I leave for the Isles." He takes her in his arms and holds her close once more. "Wisdom says that we will both need our rest for tomorrow, and should seek our beds now." Despite his words, he does not seem as though he's planning on releasing her anytime soon.
Robin snuggles back into Vere firmly with a nose wrinkle. Wisdom? Pfah! She's never been the wisdom type. Besides, she wants whatever time with Vere she can grab.
For a long while, she is just there -- in his arms, in his warmth, listening to his breath and his heartbeat, catching the scent of his hair in the night wind into herself. Her eyes close and a sigh-hum purrs through her.
Eventually though she cannot bury the icy cold dread that is crawling up her spine. Robin places her hands on Vere's shoulders and looks him in the eye. "Who!? Corwin? And why are you expected to accompany with him?!"
It's like a nightmare, Vere in His claws.
Vere frowns slightly, considering the tone of her voice. "A fairly large party will apparently accompany King Corwin when he departs. I have not been informed of all the details. However, it seems that the King of Paris founded his realm by creating his own Pattern. Princess Fiona and my Father, and I assume King Random, are all agreed that it would be best for me to walk this Pattern quickly."
"Corwin created a Pattern!?" Robin barely manages to stifle the shriek. Her eyes get large, the color drains from her face. The girl starts to shake and her knees buckle.
"Vere!" It's a desperate call, a reaching out from someone who is sliding away.
Vere holds her arms firmly, not allowing her to fall. "I am here, my love," he says. "Whatever disturbs you, I am here."
She clutches him as though he were a lifeline, burying her face in his chest. "Vere." Robin breathes the word out like a mantra. "Vere. Vere."
No choking black smoke, only the scent of Vere carried on the night breeze. No harrying flames, only the warmth of his body flowing through the open air. No crushing stones, only the light of the stars on his face. The girl shakes and struggles, fighting back hysteria.
And there - divinely, beautifully -- is his breath, his heartbeat. Here and Now. Real. Slowing her own gasps, Robin matches her breathing to Vere's. In. Out. Real. In. Out. Real. Gradually, the shakes drop away to tremors and the tremors to deep even breaths.
That stop for a moment, as Robin's head cocks in curiosity.
When she lifts her head to look into Vere's eyes, there's a dawning understanding growing there. "Corwin," she whispers, "created a Pattern." Confirming it as thought the fact might have been lost in the storm that proceeded.
"So it seems." He considers her carefully, trying to determine if the crisis is over. "I understand some of the metaphysical implications, though certainly not on the same level that someone who has walked the Pattern of Amber would. What about this worries you so?" He smiles slightly. "Other, of course, than concern that King Corwin managed to do what the family struggled so mightily to prevent Prince Brand from doing?"
Deep inside Robin a lightness is starting, as though a burden was being lifted from her wings. Sparkles of relief and elation are beginning to form in her eyes.
At Vere's careful words, his wry humor, his solidarity and intelligence, Robin smiles with admiration and kisses him quickly. Oh, he is so Vere. And he still holds her. And thus, she is still here. Robin's grip changes from a clutch to a warm delighted hug.
"I... don't have a good grip on the metaphysics, Vere. For all that I've Walked. It's probably one of the reasons I'm... not coping well." She finishes with an embarrassed blush.
"It's just that... Corwin created a Pattern. And Jerod gave Random an arrow. And.... it was your father who was crushed beneath the stones...." one trembling hand goes up to Robin's lips as idea after idea cascades through her mind, shimmering and bright, realigning her universe. "I touched the crown! I wonder if Eric.... Unicorn! He started the fire!" A flash of excitement runs through the girl and she grows lighter and lighter, as though a burden were being lifted from her wings.
"But wait. It was Brand who bled Martin...." those bright eyes search another world, and a furrow developes in Robin's brow. Something doesn't match. "Vere? Was Brand ever King or Regent of Amber?" She asks with trepidation.
"Not as far as I have heard. None claimed the throne between Oberon and Eric, and after Eric there was only Corwin. Then Oberon returned, and named my father Regent in his absence. Then came Random." Vere tilts his head to one side, watching her. "I am left behind by your thoughts, my lady. There are things in what you say that I do not understand."
"Things... from the Darkness, Vere. I don't know - and perhaps I'll never know -- if they were visions. Or events. And I don't understand them either. But..." Robin grins, the lightness shooting through her eyes as she grabs Vere's arms, the arms that have held her here, anchored her to this Amber. "four out of five delusions agree. It wasn't me!"
"Oooo." She croons joyously as she tucks herself under Vere's chin once more. "Thank you, Vere!"
Unseen above her head, Vere raises an eyebrow and his lips turn up slightly at the corners of his mouth. "You are most welcome, Robin, although I confess I do not understand exactly what you're thanking me for." He pauses, considering, and then continues with less amusement in his voice, "I well understand that visions can be very confusing, and must be considered carefully. And at times and places where the rules change, that can be even more the case."
Robin sighs. "Consideration... and care aren't my strongpoints, Vere." She hugs him fondly. She knows whose they are.
"And we don't have the time tonight. But for now, it's enough to know that -- perhaps -- I haven't come to Amber as a murdered corpse ridden by a re-written soul with the blood of a crown prince on my hands." Robin shivers, there's still a long way to go. But a smile lifts her lips as she looks back up at Vere. At least she now knows that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
The smile is swiftly followed by a flicker of concern in her eyes. "'Well understand'?" This from the man who is so careful to state when he hasn't directly experienced something.
"Training is the key," Vere replies. "Which leads to another topic, one upon which I would like to know your feelings. Before we became 'we' I had been laying out my plans for my life. Obviously, walking the Pattern, restoring my mother to her throne, and restoring my father to health are the first three priorities, and must unfortunately be taken in that order. The first has been superceded by walk a Pattern, if not the one I would have chosen. So be it. The question still remains of where my life shall lead after I have accomplished these three simple tasks." He smiles again, a bare quirk of the lips. "Originally, I had planned to take the Psyche, and sail alone though shadow, exploring the seas of many worlds. I had no great desire to remain at court. It is, in many ways, too similar to my mother's for my taste. The Princess Fiona, however, has indicated that once I have freed myself from these obligations she will entertain a petition for me to become her student. She offers no promise that she will grant the petition, but she gives me hope." He looks at her seriously. "What do you think, my love? I would wish to find a path that will allow us to be together. I will turn my back on both these paths and come to Arden, if that is your desire."
Robin grins as Vere starts speaking. _There you go, my love. I can run on forever, jump on in there._ Her eyes sparkle with laughter and love.
Then she listens carefully.
At the end of Vere's words, Robin's brows fly up and a little 'eeep!' escapes her. Her eyes ignite and she leaps - even though she still has no weight on the ground thanks to Vere - to engulf him in a tight hug. "Oh, Vere! That's so sweet of you."
She leans back, happy and laughing. "But so unnecessary, sweet man." She kisses the tip of his nose. "I was always planning on meeting you halfway." She grins at him.
Robin's visage grows thoughtful as she considers Vere's points. "Hmmmm. Where my thoughts wandered. I... don't really want to see you on Corwin's Pattern." A scowl pulls her lips downward before a resigned sigh flows through her. "Buuuuuttt, I don't know where the Pattern I walked is. And I can't guarantee that there's a functioning one in Tir. Aaaaannndd I know that it was the advantage of that, that let me and Jove get the upper hand on Vianis. So, fine." Pout, sulk.
"But I swear to you, Vere. I ever detect Him messing with you through that, I will spray his guts through all of Shadow; treaties, playing nice and whatever regardless." Robin snarls.
After that pronouncement, she gets an odd little gleam in her eyes. And a hidden smile dances around the corners of her lips. "Psyche... is your boat, right? I mean, I knew that I would have to meet your boat eventually." Her shoulders lift in a light sigh and she glances bashfully away, though there's something laughing under her skin.
"Vere? I don't often have... water under the soles of my boots. It's just not something I'm used to. But lately, I've been wondering what I'd look like in a bikini." She peeks out from under her lashes at him, green teasing in the starlight.
Then the girl becomes more serious. "As far as Princess Fiona's maybe offer goes." Robin purses her lips. "No call on that one, my love. Fiona... is someone I stay away from. For a variety of reasons." There's no animosity in Robin there. More like someone saying she's not fond of strawberries than the hatred the Ranger bears for Corwin. "So I'm not a good judge of how good the deal is. If it's something you strongly want to do, then do it. I can fit my life around that, I think."
She wrinkles her nose at Vere. "Remind me to tell you about 'The Lodge' sometime, sweetling."
"The Lodge," Vere repeats, smiling. "I will remember." It sounds like a promise. "As to future plans, we will look at them as they come. It is enough for now to know that our futures will include each other." He kisses her once more, lightly. "I look forward to getting you upon the water. The sea has always been a major part of my life, I hope you will suit each other."
"Me too, Vere. Even a tree-rat like myself knows that you don't get between a man and his boat." She wrinkles her nose teasingly at him. She cocks her head, "And I've heard that it's quiet on the sea. And wild. Now just as long as I don't get sea-sick." She winks. Robin is obviously of the belief that it's not possible for scions of Amber to get sea-sick.
The girl rests her forehead against Vere's chin and another long content happy sigh drifts through her. She's come to peacefulness once again in his arms.
He smiles, content to hold her quietly for as long as she is content to remain in his arms.
The stars turn overhead in their stately procession and Robin remains with Vere. Though even when quiet and peaceful, the girl is hardly still - only moving more slowly. She takes her time and explores her way around Vere, finding all the sweet spots.
Tucked under his chin, nice. Rest there for a while.
With her back against his warm solidarity, his arms enfolding her, looking out over the garden. MMmmmmm.... Linger there.
At his side, walking slowly, arms around each other's waists... Like she was born for it.
Many kisses and nibbles.
Robin finds that she especially loves running her fingers through Vere's long hair and playing with the ends of individual locks.
And at least one bout of tickling is initiated.
Vere, it turns out, is not ticklish. He seems familiar with the concept, however, and proves adept at discovering all of Robin's ticklish areas.
Robin is very ticklish. Her skin, for all its strength is very sensitive; ribs, beneath her arms, the backs of her knees, under her chin, and especially the soles of her feet. She laughs in great gasping helpless gales until tears pour from her eyes and she can't breathe. Enormous bouts of gayety that light the garden with exuberance.
For now he is clearly happy to let Robin take the lead, deciding when they sit silently, when they walk through the garden, when they pause and hold up a tree for a little while. Even when moving, Vere somehow conveys a sense of stillness and calm. And at the center of that stillness is his unwavering focus on Robin.
Robin looks up at him from where she lays with her head in his lap, sprawled on the rolling sward of the garden. Once again, she has captured the blowing ends of a lock of Vere's hair and has been drawing it idly across her smiling lips. Her eyes crinkle into happy creases, watching Vere memorize her, add her to his soul to carry with himself from this night forward.
She has been humming quietly to herself, something slow sweet and romantic. But as she looks up at him, the tune changes to something more driving and the fire appears in her eyes again. Robin's scent changes and her position becomes less languid. She sighs, closes her eyes and forces herself to relax - not an easy thing.
"Vere? Where are the lines, please? I... don't want to push you or tempt you. So I have to know. Please, define 'lover.'"
Vere chuckles ruefully. "I was not considering the question closely enough when I phrased my oath," he says. "However, it detracts from the dramatic impact of such an oath to build in exceptions and precise definitions when swearing before the powers of the universe." He strokes her face lovingly. "I fear we must err on the side of caution, my love. It is unfair to you, who are not bound by any oath."
"Ah, sweetling. I'm not worried about fair or unfair at all." She kisses the tip of one of Vere's fingers.
"It's just that... I've been places where what we've done tonight would bind us forever as man and wife. And I've been places where we could Oath by the Unicorn in front of the King of Amber and not be considered lovers if we hadn't presented each other with a fresh kill made by our own hands. And in Arden..." she shrugs, "we tend not to use either 'wife' or 'lover' much. So I really don't know what you meant by lover." Robin's lips cock wryly.
"Buuuut..." she laughs, "far be it from me to decry the necessity of dramatic impact when before the powers of the universe. So, if you promise -- promise -- to let me know when we're close to the borders, I'll trust you on that."
Her eyes look up into Vere's, soft, loving with a hint of fear in them. "See Vere, I couldn't live with myself if I'd led you to betray yourself. For whatever reason."
"Never fear that, my love," he says tenderly. "I did not swear not to know love, merely its physical expression. I know clearly what I meant when I swore that oath. I will not overstep it." He pauses, considering, "Fresh kills, eh? That can wait some little while, I hope?"
Robin's green eyes look up at Vere. Okay, two no's and an assurance. Good enough. She smiles, nods and goes back to playing with Vere's hair.
Listening to his voice welling up from inside of him, Robin chuckles. "It was just an example." Her eyes wander. "Though.... after your oath's fulfilled, I'd love to take you to the Rain Festivals in Murawbi." A little wriggle goes through her body. "Oh, yeah," she finishes with a smoky murmur.
"I shall look forward to it," he murmurs. "Along with so very many other things."
Fires burn lowly for a little while within the Ranger before she puts them aside and returns to the cuddle of which all others are merely shadow.
Vere has clearly abandoned his earlier suggestion of seeking their separate beds, and he sits quietly, smiling down into Robin's face, as he softly strokes her forehead. He hopes to soothe her into sleep, as he thinks she needs it after her strenuous day.
"Mmmmmm. Nice...." she murmurs.
A soft unconscious croon seats itself within the girl's diaphragm and she settles herself a little more comfortable on the sward. Listening to his silence and stillness... somehow it takes the edge of the clatter and voices from elsewhere deep within the castle. Like listening to the rain. Or slow gentle waves. Or... Robin's eyes drift close without her thinking about it.
And soon her breathing deepens. There are still little ripples and twitches in response to the odd pot dropping in the kitchen or a hail on the battlements, but Robin's face relaxes in slumber, unknotting along with her soul.
Vere lets her sleep, sitting quietly for the next few hours and thinking on how his life has changed. Shortly before dawn he hears the change in the noises from the castle, as the servants begin to stir for the new day's preparations. He strokes Robin's face softly and whispers, "Awake my love. The new day comes, and gardeners will soon be here."
As the noise from the Castle increases and dawn approaches Robin's eyes begin to move below their closed lids. Whatever she dreams, it's not entirely pleasant as her face draws into anxiety and her hands and feet twitch slightly.
At Vere's touch, though, and at the sound of his voice, the Ranger wakes instantly, calmly and without startling. She opens her eyes. Croooooon. Last sight of the night, first sight of the day, Vere. It doesn't get any better than than.
"Vere." She draws his name out in loving hum, as she smiles up at him with wonder and joy.
Then pounces for a kiss. Immediately active and alert -- and in the present company, decidedly perky -- Robin is definitely a morning person.
Vere laughs, returning the kiss. Then he rises smoothly to his feet, drawing her up with him. "We both have things to do," he say, holding her hands in his. "If fortune smiles upon us we shall see each other again this day before I leave. If not, know that I am always with you, and you with me."
"Weeelll," Robin raises from her feet, easily and lightly. The rest has obviously done her a world of good. "I'm not sure I'm prepared to be so philosophical about it." she says with a warm smile. "But yeah, you're stuck with me now. And if things go on too long, I'm definitely going to be looking you up." That coming from a Ranger of Arden and a cross-Shadow hunter.
She pauses a moment. Then engulfs the man in an enormous hug. "Unicorn be with you, Vere. Know that I'll always be yours." There's warmth, strength, and devotion in the words of her heart and her body.
"I know it, my lady. And I yours." Vere kisses her once more, then releases her, steps back, bows, and turns and leaves the garden, a smile upon his face.
She watches him disappear among the turns of garden, her eyes glittering. Once she can behold him no more, the girl flings her arms and spins rapidly, a twirl of exultation. Throwing her blond head backward, the call lifts from Robin to the lightening sky, a clarion whistle of triumph and joy.
After which, she spins herself into a tight self-hug. Humming quietly under her breath, and with a light step, Robin takes herself to a different place. Maybe a little while longer within the boughs of a tree...
Last modified: 3 September 2003